Story perspectives

EC orders special enrolment drive for left-out voters in 20 states

By Drooid · Oct 3, 2026, 10:19 AM UTC · How we work

Left

Illegal SIR changes

The Election Commission of India ordered enrolment drive for left-out voters in 20 states and territories after Intensive Revision of rolls finished.
Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, with ex-chief Dr S.Y. Quraishi, denounced SIR changes as illegal, lacking parliamentary approval, and a criminal offense.
The drive targets millions disenfranchised after 13 crore names were removed, risking ration access.
Cockroach Janta Party protested in Delhi and Mumbai, demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.

Right

Alleged Commission collusion

The Election Commission of India ordered a special enrolment drive for left-out and new voters in 20 states where the Special Intensive Revision was completed.
Opposition parties claimed the Commission colluded with the BJP to disenfranchise voters.
Booth Level Officers must verify 20-25 voters by house-to-house visits and share lists with parties.
The drive enrols first-time voters, with the Commission assuring no citizen will be disenfranchised.

Center

Massive Voter Roll Cut

The Election Commission ordered an enrolment drive for left-out and new voters in 20 states where the Intensive Revision of rolls was completed.
In Bihar, the SIR process cut the verified voter list from 78.9 million to 74.2 million, a loss of 4.7 million voters (?6 %).
Maharashtra instructed Level Officers to notify voters by phone or WhatsApp, removing in-person hearings.
The Commission set new dates: deadline 10 Oct 2026, final rolls 16 Oct 2026 (AP) and 26 Oct 2026 (Meghalaya).

History

Historical Context

The Election Commission, which last carried out a standard intensive revision in 2003, launched a Special Intensive Revision in July 2025, announced by CEC Gyanesh Kumar on 27 October 2025. Phase II, covering nine states, cut the electorate by 10.2% (from 50.99 crore to 45.81 crore). In May 2026 the Supreme Court upheld the SIR’s legality, echoing earlier controversies such as the 1997 Assam D-voter case.

1 of 4

Illegal SIR changes

The Election Commission of India ordered enrolment drive for left-out voters in 20 states and territories after Intensive Revision of rolls finished.
Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, with ex-chief Dr S.Y. Quraishi, denounced SIR changes as illegal, lacking parliamentary approval, and a criminal offense.
The drive targets millions disenfranchised after 13 crore names were removed, risking ration access.
Cockroach Janta Party protested in Delhi and Mumbai, demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.

1 / 4